Deck 14: The Outer Solar System

Question 1

What state of matter is the majority of Jupiter's mass in?

A) gas
B) liquid
C) solid
D) a combination of solid and liquid

Answer 1

liquid

Question 2

What is the largest moon in the Solar System?

A) the Earth's Moon
B) Europa
C) Ganymede
D) Callisto

Answer 2

Ganymede

Question 3

The graph indicates the temperature of Saturn's atmosphere as a function of distance from the upper cloud layer. Water will condense to form droplets at a temperature of approximately 270 K in the atmosphere of Saturn. At what distance from the upper cloud layer will clouds of water vapour form?

A) −250 km
B) −150 km
C) 0 km
D) 150 km

Answer 3

−250 km

Question 4

Which of the following does Jupiter lack?

A) a hot interior
B) convection occurring in its atmosphere
C) crustal plates on its surface
D) any rings

Question 5

Which Jovian planet has the most visible and brilliant ring system?

A) Neptune
B) Saturn
C) Jupiter
D) Uranus

Question 6

What would happen if a moon fell within Jupiter's Roche limit?

A) It would be captured into orbit.
B) It would collide with Jupiter.
C) It would be ejected from Jupiter's gravitational field.
D) It would crumble into smaller pieces.

Question 7

Where is belt-zone circulation found?

A) on Uranus and Neptune
B) among the asteroids
C) on Jupiter and Saturn
D) outside the orbit of Neptune

Question 8

In what way is the rocky material of Jupiter's core different from the rocks found on Earth?

A) It is much cooler because Jupiter is farther from the Sun.
B) It is much hotter and denser because of the extreme pressure at the core of Jupiter.
C) It is not composed of iron and nickel because this material would float on the surface.
D) It is composed entirely of ices that have frozen into a large rock-like structure.

Question 9

What is the Roche limit?

A) the distance from the Sun within which a planet cannot retain an atmosphere
B) the minimum mass of an object in the solar system that would be classified as a planet
C) the maximum separation distance between the Sun and a given planet
D) the distance from a planet within which a satellite cannot hold itself together

Question 10

What phenomenon causes Jupiter and Saturn to emit more heat than they absorb from the Sun?

A) heat left over from their formation
B) nuclear fusion of hydrogen to helium in their liquid metallic hydrogen cores
C) radioactive decay in their liquid metallic hydrogen cores
D) heat generated by the impact of meteorites in their atmospheres

Question 11

What is the term for the region around a planet where the magnetic field is able to deflect the solar wind and other charged particles?

A) aurora
B) magnetosphere
C) hydrosphere
D) corona

Question 12

The reddish particles in Jupiter's rings are less than 1 percent as reflective as Saturn's whiter particles. Based on this information, what can you conclude about the composition of the ring particles?

A) Saturn's are icy; Jupiter's are rocky.
B) Saturn's are rocky; Jupiter's are icy.
C) Both planets have icy ring particles.
D) Both planets have rocky ring particles.

Question 13

Which Jovian planet is the largest?

A) Neptune
B) Saturn
C) Jupiter
D) Uranus

Question 14

Which planets have liquid metallic hydrogen in their interiors?

A) Jupiter and Saturn
B) Saturn and Uranus
C) Uranus and Neptune
D) Jupiter and Neptune

Question 15

Which of the following is most likely to be found in Jupiter's core?

A) helium
B) solid rock
C) hydrogen
D) loose heavy elements

Question 16

Which of the following conditions is required for liquid hydrogen to become liquid metallic hydrogen?

A) very high pressure
B) very high temperature
C) very strong magnetic field
D) very strong circulation

Question 17

Which of the following statements best explains why the surfaces of Callisto and most of Ganymede appear old?

A) They are very bright and heavily cratered.
B) They are dark and heavily cratered.
C) They have old icy regions.
D) They have rocky ring particles.

Question 18

Which of the following Jovian planet(s) have rings?

A) Saturn.
B) Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus.
C) Jupiter and Saturn.
D) Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus.

Question 19

Why do Uranus and Neptune appear blue or blue-green?

A) Traces of methane and other hydrocarbons in their atmospheres
B) Their solid airless surfaces are this colour.
C) Their surfaces are covered with liquid water with no atmosphere.
D) Their atmospheres absorb blue light very efficiently.

Question 20

What makes up most of Jupiter's mass?

A) rock
B) molten iron
C) water
D) hydrogen and helium

Question 21

Which planet is the most oblate?

A) Jupiter
B) Saturn
C) Neptune
D) Uranus

Question 22

What is the grooved terrain found on Ganymede is believed to indicate?

A) flow channels for liquid water
B) flow channels for liquid methane
C) the peaks of water waves in a large ocean
D) a system of faults in the crust

Question 23

Why is it believed that the rings of Saturn could not have formed at the same time as the planet itself formed?

A) Over time, the solar wind should have blown away the particles in the rings.
B) The particles in the rings should eventually fall into the planet, in a time much shorter than the age of the planet.
C) The rings are made of ice particles, which would have been vaporized by the heat released as Saturn formed.
D) The outer planets do not have enough mass to hold onto the rings.

Question 24

Which of these Galilean satellites is most geologically active?

A) Io
B) Europa
C) Callisto
D) Ganymede

Question 25

As a moon in a very elliptical orbit moves closer to and then farther away from a planet, gravity flexes the moon with tides, and friction heats the interior. What is this process called?

A) tidal heating
B) occultation
C) vaporization
D) differentiation

Question 26

What is the primary reason for Io's volcanic activity?

A) magnetic fields
B) internal geysers
C) tidal heating
D) internal heat

Question 27

How can we be sure that the particles in the rings of Jupiter are very small?

A) The rings are faint in forward scattered light.
B) The rings are bright in forward scattered light.
C) Only small particles are produced in comet impacts with larger moons.
D) The magnetic field of Jupiter would quickly force large particles out of the rings.

Question 28

Which pair of planets has the greatest difference in density?

A) Uranus and Neptune
B) Jupiter and Saturn
C) Jupiter and Uranus
D) Jupiter and Neptune

Question 29

What does Saturn's oblate shape tell you about the planet?

A) Its interior must be mostly liquid.
B) It must be orbited by massive moons.
C) It must have formed from a disk of gas.
D) It must have a strong magnetic field.

Question 30

Pluto's density is 1.8 g/cm³. Iron has a density of about 5 g/cm³. Rock (e.g. basalt) has a density of about 3 g/cm³. Ice and water have densities of 1.0 g/cm³. Which of the following can be deduced from those densities?

A) Pluto has a large iron-nickel core.
B) Pluto is about one-third water and two-thirds rocky material.
C) Pluto is solid rock all the way through.
D) Pluto is composed entirely of water or water ice.

Question 31

Why does Europa have so few craters?

A) It is protected from impacts by Jupiter's gravity.
B) It does not have a solid surface.
C) It has erased craters nearly as fast as they have formed.
D) Its surface is not strong enough to support craters.

Question 32

Why do the newly created surface regions on Jupiter's icy satellites appear so bright?

A) Jupiter focuses sunlight on the satellites.
B) The many impact craters are made of reflective metal.
C) Fresh ice is very reflective.
D) The satellites have small, active volcanoes.

Question 33

How do the particles in Saturn's rings orbit the planet?

A) in the plane of the planet's equator, as a solid disk
B) in the plane of the planet's equator, in individual orbits for each particle
C) in the plane of the planet's equator, outside the Roche limit
D) around the planet's poles, in individual orbits for each particle

Question 34

Which pair of outer planet moons is most similar in terms of composition?

A) Io and Charon
B) Triton and Callisto
C) Mimas and Enceladus
D) Titan and Ganymede

Question 35

What causes the geological activity seen on some of the inner moons of Jupiter?

A) Constant collisions with space debris provide a power source for geological activity.
B) The strong magnetic field of Jupiter heats up the surface of the inner moons.
C) Tidal friction caused by Jupiter's gravity heats up the interiors of the moons.
D) Solar radiation reflected off Jupiter's surface provides a power source for the moons' geological activity.

Question 36

How is the Great Red Spot different from weather patterns on Earth?

A) It is related to its planet's magnetic field.
B) It comes and goes much faster than hurricanes and cyclones on Earth.
C) It is much longer-lasting than weather systems on Earth.
D) It is related to its planet's rotation.

Question 37

What planet do the Galilean satellites orbit?

A) Jupiter
B) Saturn
C) Uranus
D) Neptune

Question 38

Which of the following is a feature of Saturn's atmosphere?

A) more distinctive zones and belts than Jupiter's atmosphere
B) free oxygen
C) methane clouds and haze
D) a blue-green colour

Question 39

Which of the following do Jupiter and Saturn have in common?

A) liquid metallic helium in their interiors
B) large, permanent storms
C) moons with thick atmospheres
D) radiating more energy than they receive from the Sun

Question 40

How do the old surfaces of icy satellites of Jovian planets differ from the younger regions?

A) Old surfaces are darker in colour and have fewer impact craters.
B) Old surfaces are darker in colour and have more impact craters.
C) Old surfaces are lighter in colour and have fewer impact craters.
D) Old surfaces are lighter in colour and have more impact craters.

Question 41

What causes some rings of Saturn to be narrow, as seen in space probe photos?

A) gravitational interactions between ring particles
B) a spiral density wave that confines them
C) the magnetic field that holds them in place
D) small shepherd moons that orbit inside and outside the rings

Question 42

In what way is the rotation of Uranus peculiar?

A) It is very slow, nearly zero.
B) It is much faster than is typical for Jovian planets.
C) The rotation is in the opposite direction to the planet's orbital direction.
D) The axis is nearly parallel to the plane of the planet's orbit.

Question 43

The graph plots the escape velocity of several solar system objects along the vertical axis and the surface temperature along the horizontal axis. The lines plotted in the figure are the speeds of the fastest gas particles as a function of temperature for various gases. Which of the objects in this diagram has the lowest surface temperature?

A) Ganymede
B) Titan
C) Triton
D) Pluto

Question 44

The graph plots the escape velocity of several solar system objects along the vertical axis and the surface temperature along the horizontal axis. The lines plotted in the figure are the speeds of the fastest gas particles as a function of temperature for various gases. Which of the objects in this diagram has the highest escape velocity?

A) Ganymede
B) Titan
C) Triton
D) Pluto

Question 45

Which of the following objects has methane rain that creates dark drainage channels?

A) Io
B) Titan
C) Mimas
D) Ganymede

Question 46

Why do Uranus and Neptune contain no liquid metallic hydrogen?

A) The pressure is not large enough.
B) They contain mostly helium.
C) They are too far from the Sun.
D) Their magnetic fields are much too weak.

Question 47

What type of geological activity would you expect to find on Neptune's moon Triton?

A) Geysers of liquid nitrogen erupting from the surface.
B) Volcanoes of molten lava, similar to those on Earth.
C) Earthquakes resulting from plate tectonics.
D) Geysers of liquid water erupting from the surface.

Question 48

The diagram shows a cross-section of the interior of Uranus. Which region do current computer models suggest is composed primarily of liquid water?

Question 49

The graph plots the escape velocity of several solar system objects along the vertical axis and the surface temperature along the horizontal axis. The lines plotted in the figure are the speeds of the fastest gas particles as a function of temperature for various gases. Which of the objects in this diagram has the highest surface temperature?

A) Ganymede
B) Titan
C) Triton
D) Pluto

Question 50

In what way are Saturn's F ring and the rings of Uranus similar?

A) They are made of dark material.
B) They are made of icy material.
C) They show well-defined spokes.
D) They are very narrow.

Question 51

Which of these is (are) aligned with the orbital plane of Uranus?

A) Uranus's poles
B) the orbital planes of Uranus's major satellites
C) the orbital plane of Uranus's rings
D) Uranus's equator

Question 52

What is Cassini's division in Saturn's rings?

A) a gap produced by gravitational interaction with the moon Mimas
B) a clump of ring particles produced by gravitational interaction with the moon Mimas
C) a separation between rings orbiting in different planes
D) a location in the rings where the particle composition changes due to outgassing

Question 53

The graph plots the escape velocity of several solar system objects along the vertical axis and the surface temperature along the horizontal axis. The lines plotted in the figure are the speeds of the fastest gas particles as a function of temperature for various gases. Which of the objects in this diagram has the lowest escape velocity?

A) Ganymede
B) Miranda
C) Triton
D) Pluto

Question 54

Though Titan has a small mass, it is able to retain an atmosphere. Why?

A) because it is very cold
B) because it is very hot
C) because it has an iron surface
D) because it attracts gas from the solar wind

Question 55

The graph plots the escape velocity of several solar system objects along the vertical axis and the surface temperature along the horizontal. The lines plotted in the figure are the fastest speeds of gas particles as a function of temperature for various gases. Which of the gases plotted in this diagram could be retained by Triton?

A) only CO₂
B) NH₃ and O₂
C) CO₂, NH₃, and O₂
D) CO₂ and O₂

Question 56

The graph plots the escape velocity of several solar system objects along the vertical axis and the surface temperature along the horizontal. The lines plotted in the figure are the fastest speeds of gas particles as a function of temperature for various gases. Which of the gases plotted in this diagram could be retained by Ganymede?

A) only CO₂
B) NH₃ and O₂
C) CO₂, NH₃, and O₂
D) CO₂ and O₂

Question 57

What is unusual about Triton's orbit around Neptune?

A) Triton orbits in the same direction as Neptune rotates on its axis.
B) Triton orbits in the opposite direction to the way Neptune rotates on its axis.
C) Triton's rotation axis always points toward Neptune.
D) Triton's rotation is in the opposite direction to its orbital direction.

Question 58

In which way are the rings of Uranus and Neptune different?

A) Uranus' rings are much wider than Neptune's rings
B) Uranus' rings are much brighter than Neptune's rings
C) Uranus' rings were detected by telescopes on Earth and Neptune's rings were discovered by space probes
D) Uranus' rings are made mostly of water ice and Neptune's rings are made mostly of dust

Question 59

Which of the following has an atmosphere composed of mostly nitrogen with small amounts of argon and methane?

A) Jupiter
B) Earth's moon
C) Callisto
D) Titan

Question 60

On its icy surface, Uranus's satellite Ariel has smooth valleys with few craters, as well as rough areas with many craters. Based on this, what can be concluded?

A) The valleys are young and the rough areas are old.
B) The valleys are old and the rough areas are young.
C) Both valleys and rough areas are young.
D) Both valleys and rough areas are old.

Question 61

The distance from a planet where a moon is ripped apart by tidal forces is called the ______ ___________________.

Question 62

Pluto is no longer classified as a planet; instead it is now classified as a(n) ____________ ______________.

Question 63

The largest satellites of Jupiter are known as the ____________________ satellites.

Question 64

Which of the following are part of the Kuiper belt?

A) Quaoar, Orcus, and Triton
B) Pluto, Sedna, and Eris
C) Io, Ganymede, and Callisto
D) Ceres, Vesta, and Phobos

Question 65

Which of the following is a satellite of Pluto?

A) Miranda
B) Charon
C) Eris
D) Nereid

Question 66

Compared to Jupiter, how much energy per square metre does Neptune get from the Sun?

A) about 1/36 as much
B) about 1/9 as much
C) about 1/2 as much
D) about 3/4 as much

Question 67

____________ is the moon of Saturn that is most similar in appearance to Jupiter's moon Europa.

Question 68

The region of Jupiter that is responsible for the magnetic field is composed of _______________ ________________ __________________.

Question 69

Which of the following is the most massive dwarf planet?

A) Ceres
B) Pluto
C) Eris
D) Makemake

Question 70

The one object in the solar system besides the Earth that has liquid on its surface is __________________.

Question 71

____________________ is the smallest of the large moons of Uranus and its surface has features called ovoids. These ovoids may have been formed by the upheaval of material by convection in the interior.

Question 72

Which of the following are found on Triton?

A) volcanoes
B) lobate scarps
C) a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere
D) a thin nitrogen atmosphere

Question 73

Why is Ceres not considered a planet?

A) It does not orbit the Sun.
B) It is not spherical.
C) Its orbit is too elliptical.
D) It orbits within the asteroid belt.

Question 74

The volcanos on Io are believed to be powered by _______ __________.

Question 75

Which of the following is the largest dwarf planet?

A) Ceres
B) Pluto
C) Eris
D) Makemake

Question 76

The results of volcanism in the past are apparent on many objects in the solar system. However, volcanic activity is known to be currently occurring only on Earth and on Jupiter's satellite _____________.

Question 77

The only dwarf planet that does not orbit within the Kuiper belt is ___________.

Question 78

The planet with the lowest surface temperature is ____________.

Question 79

The only spacecraft to fly by Uranus and Neptune was called ____________.

Question 80

The planet with the fastest rotation rate is ____________________.